TORRANCE, Calif. -

The beginning of next month will mark the first time that an American has helmed the chief executive role for Toyota Motor Sales USA, as it was announced Wednesday that stepping into that position on April 1 will be Jim Lentz, who is currently the president and chief operating officer at TMS.

Lentz’s move was one of several global changes unveiled by the automaker Wednesday morning.

Toyota Motor Corp. revealed that Shigeki Terashi will move into the role of president and COO of Toyota Motor North America, where he will serve as the automaker’s top regional officer for North America and head up the company’s cross-affiliate North American Executive Committee.

Terashi is currently the president of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing, North America, and will remain in this post as he takes on the new position.

The man whom Terashi is replacing as president and COO of TMA — Yoshi Inaba — is shifting back to TMS, where his prime focus will be on his chairmanship of TMS. That said, Inaba will continue to be on Toyota’s North American Executive Committee where he will support Terashi taking on new leadership.

It was also announced that Massy Tomozoe, who had been senior vice president of North America business planning and chief coordinating officer for TMA, is heading back to Japan. She will take on a to-be-announced senior management position.

Officials added that the North American Executive Committee will still meet each month.

Led by Terashi, it also includes the following members: Inaba, Dian Ogilvie, George Borst, Jim Lentz, Kazuhiro Miyauchi, Ray Tanguay and Steve St. Angelo.